Boxes, money-bags, small-cases, caskets and similar articles provided with an alarm device



July 10, 1962 F F. LARSEN BOXES, MONEY-BAGS, SMALL-CASES, GASKETS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES PROVIDED WITH AN ALARM DEVICE Filed Feb. 1, 1960 i I a i 23 l I l 56 9 2 INVENTOR.

3,044 053 BOIES, MONEY-BAGS, SMALL-CASES, CASKETS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES PROVIDED WITH AN ALARM DEVICE Frdric Pierre Larsen, 24 Bis Rue de lAssomption,

Paris, France Filed Feb. 1, 1960, Ser. No. 5,755 Claims priority, application France Feb. 12, 1959 Claims. (Cl. 340-280) The present invention relates to boxes, caskets, moneybags, small-cases, jewels strong-cases and similar articles comprising an alarm device emitting a signal, e.g. audible, in case of theft attempt. In thehereinafter given description, the term boxes will be used to generally cover all articles to .which the present invention may be applied.

One object of the invention is to improve such boxes by arranging the alarm mechanism in such manner that not only may said mechanism be sensitive to a displacement of the box from the support on which it lies but also said mechanism may be unlatched at will by a person carrying the box by hand.

v Further, the invention aims to increase the sensitiveness of the system which is a sensitive one to a move of the box in any direction with regard to its support.

To this end, the device according to the invention comprises a control member which is capable of occupying three positions, namely: an inactive position, a cocking position and an unlatching position for starting an alarmsignalling element which is maintained in action after it has been released, independently of any further motion that may be given to said control member, as known per se; according to a feature of the invention, said control member may be maintained at will in its cocking position either by means of a deformable system sensitive to a displacement of the box with respect to its support, or by means of a locking system capable of being voluntarily unlatched from outside of the box, the arrangement being such that, once the alarm signal has been put into action, said signal keeps in action even in the case said locking system has been only temporarily unlatched.

According to a further feature of the invention, said deformable system comprises at least two elements, one of which at least is itself yieldingly deformable perpendicularly to its axis.

According to another feature of the invention, said deformable system comprises a spring which is flexible perpendicularly to its axis and which bears on a spherical member mounted with a certain amount of play with regard to its housing and capable of bearing on the support receiving the box.

According to another feature of the invention, the locking system comprises a latch which may be actuated from outside and which is capable of occupying two positions, namely: a first position in which it lays on the path of the control member so as to retain the latter in its cocking position, though it may be retracted from outside in order to liberate the control member, and a second position in which said latch constantly is outside of the path of said control member.

According to a still further feature of the invention, the locking system comprises a locking rod one end portion of which is capable of moving into the path of the control member and of being retracted therefrom by a longitudinal motion produced by means of a handle controllable from outside and capable of occupying two positions of rest, in one of which said locking rod is in the path of the control member while it may be retracted therefrom by said longitudinal motion, while, in the second position, said locking rod constantly is outtates Patent side the path of the control member, said rod passing from one of said positions to the other through a rotatmg motion given to said handle about the axis of said locking rod.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description given with reference to the appended drawings wherein: a

FIG. 1 diagrammatically shows a sectional elevation of adevice according to the invention, in the inactive position;

FIG. 2 is a partial view similar to FIG. 1 but showing some members in the cocking position;

FIG. 3 is a partial view wherein the members of FIG. 2 are shown in their position when putting the alarm signal into action;

FIG. 4 is a partial section along the line 44 of FIG. 1, showing the locking system controllable from outside, in the cocking position;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but showing th locking system in its inactive position;

FIG. 6 is a front view of an element of the locking system shown in FIGS. 4 and 5; and

FIG. .7 is a partial section along the line 7-7 of FIG. 1.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the box 1 to be protected is provided with a pivoting lid 2 and contains a plate member 3 spaced from the front wall 46 (FIG. 7) of said box and carrying a platen 4 by means of bolts 3a, a key hole 5 being provided in said platen 4 in alinement with a similar hole (not shown) provided in the front wall 46.

An element 6, which is intended to be controlled by a key passed through the key hole 5, comprises elongated slots 8 through which pass rods 7 integral with the plate member 3, so that the said element 6 may have a longitudinal motion which is guided by the rods 7.

Hooks 9 may pivot about axes 10 secured on the ele ment 6. Besides, such hooks 9 are provided each with a pin 11 engaged into a groove 12 provided in the element 6. A spring 13, secured on the platen 4, on one hand, and on the corresponding book 9, on the other hand, urges said hook towards the position illustrated in FIG. 1 in which the pin 11 is abutting against one end of the groove 12, the nose portion of said hook 9 being then engaged in a staple 14 integral with the lid 2 and passing through an opening 15 in a horizontally folded portion of the plate member 3 (see FIG. 7). The element 6 carries two pegs 16 and 17 intended to be engaged by the key inserted through the key hole 5 in order to perform the control motions hereinafter described.

A control member 18 pivotable about an axle 19 secured on the plate member 3 has its upper edge provided with a notch 20 spaced from the rear end of said member 18 so that a rectilinear portion 21 of said upper edge subsists between said notch and said rear end.

The notch 20 and the rectilinear portion 21 are intended to cooperate with a rod 22 carried by an extension 23 of the element 6, in a manner to be hereinafter explained. Besides, the control member 18 has a nose portion 24 at the end opposed to the notch 20, said nose portion 24 being capable of bearing upon a flexible contact strip 25 intended-to cooperate with a contact strip 26 to close an electric circuit comprising a dry cell 27 and a bell 28. At rest, the strips 25 and 26 are separated from each other in order to keep said electric circuit in'open condition.

Obviously, instead of an electric cell a small accumulator may be provided and the bell 28 may be replaced by any other system producing an audible signal, for instance by causing one or several hammers to strike one or several plates, by detonation, etc., and said audible signal may be combined with a discharge of gas, etc. A spring 29, which is secured to the plate member 3,

on one hand, and on the control member 18, on the other hand, tends to cause'saidcontrol-membertop vot sons to' apply the nose portion 24 against the strip 25 thus'bringing on the closing of the electric circuit 2526- 27-'-.-28.,

The deformable system intended to detect any displacement of the box with respect to' its support comprises a ball 30 mounted with some play within a housing formed by two. plates31 and 32 secured to the plate member 3. Through a cut-out portion 33 formed in the bottom "33d of the box, the ball 30 may bear on the support'34,

which may for-instance be the top of a tablev on which said box is laying. n anelement 35 fixedly secured to the control meming. motion of the latch39 is limited by ahook 42 secured to the extension 23 of the movable element 6. v

The locking system which may be voluntarily controlled from outside comprises a finger 43 carried by a rod'44 projecting outside of-the box througha hole 47 in. the front wall 46 of the box. Coaxial with said hole 47, a washer 48 is secured to the inner face of the wall 46.

On the outer face of the wall 46 andcoaxially to the hole 47lis secured a head 49 provided with two grooves 50 and 51 ('see FIG. 6) at right angles to each other, the groove 50 being deeper. than the groove 51. Those grooves are intended'to receive a rectilinear portion of a handle 45 attached to-the rod 44. p A spring 52, which is interposed between the washer 48' and a collar 52a. provided on the rod44, urges the whole assembly towards the position shown in FIG. 4;

Assuming first that the box to be protected is laying pn a, support and that its-protection must be obtained by the. deformable system which is sensitive to a displacement otthe box with respect to its support, the above described device operates as follows:

FIG 1 shows the elements in the inactive position of thedeformablesystem. In such position,'the rod 22 'is in contact withtherectilinear portion 21 of the upper edge of the controlmember lS, whereby said control member cannot pivot about its axle 19 under the tracout bearing on said strip. Besides, the hook 42 has moved away from the pivoting latch 39.

During a displacement of the box withrespect to its support 34 in any direction whatever, the unstable equilibrium of the'system -36 is destroyed. Intact, during a horizontal movement of the'box, the ball 30 is roll ing on the support 34 so that the finger 37 is deviated laterally by the rotation of the balls'tl on which said fingerthenslides towards the position of FIG. 3 on account of the flexibility of thespring 36.

When the box is lifted from itssupport, the ball 30 moves downwards thanks to the clearance provided in its housing 31-32, the finger 37, in this occurrence, similarly losing its bearing on the ball.

In this occurrence, the system also occupies the position shown in FIG. 3 at which time the alarm is put into action. In such position, the control member 18 has been swung by the spring 29 so that its nose portion 24 applies the contact strip 25'against the strip 26, thus closingthe electric circuit of the bell 28 which then produces an alarm signal. I The downward motion of the strip 25 has released the end of the latch 39which'then is applied against the hook 42 by the spring 41. In such position, the end of the latch 39 which has climbed on the strip 25 maintains the contact between the strips 25 and 26, so that the alarm signal remains maintained even in the case someone succeeds in displacing the control member 13 by an exterior action.

The alarm signal cannot be stopped but by inserting the key into the key hole 5 and bringing back all elements into the position shownin FIG; 1 byrotating the key in the proper direction thus displacing the movable element 6 towards the right side of FIGS. 1 to 3 During such movement, the rod 22 climbs back on' the rectilinear portion 21 in order to swing the control member 18 against the action of the spring 29. Simultaneously, the hook 42 brings back the latch 39 to the position shownin FIG. 1, thus enabling the strip 25 to get away from the strip 26 thus interrupting the alarm electric circuit.

, The locking system controllable from outside and shown in FIGS. 4' to 6 inclusively operates as follows.

When the rectilinear portion of the handle is engagd within the deeper groove of the head 49, the spring 52 pushes the'rod 44 forward until the finger 43 enters the'path of the control member 18, as shown in FIGS; 4 and 7, so that, when the movablemember 6, by means of the key, is brought in the cocking position in which the rod 22' is just opposite the notch 20, the control member 18 rests on the finger 43. Then the box may be carried by means of the handle (not shown) usually provided therefor, while simultaneously a finger pins 11 are drivenby oneend of the groove 12' so that the nose portions of the hooks. 9 are driven out of the staples 14, whereby permitting to open the lid 2. Simultaneously, the rod. 22 slides on the rectilinear portion 21,

whereby the control member 18 remains held in its in- 'activ'e position.

By turning the key in the contrary direction, said key is caused to engage the peg 16 thus displacing'the movable element 6 towards the left side of FIG. 1. Such movement has no effect upon the books 9 the pins 11 of which simply move away from the respective ends of the grooves 12 so'that the box remains closed. On the other hand, the rod 22 leaves the. rectilinear portion 21' and comes just opposite the notch 20 thus allowing the control member 1S to pivot under the traction of the spring 29' until the finger 37 comes to bear on the ball 30, as shown in FIG. 2. Then the device is in the cocking po'si tion. Insuch position, the nose portion '24 of the conof the carrying hand is passed through the handle 45,

' which obviously'must be suitably disposed with respect to the box handle carried by the hand, such handle 45 being, for instance, located inside of said box handle."

When it is desired to put the alarm into action, it is suificient to exert a traction with the finger on the handle 45 in the direction shown by the arrow F (FIG. 4), whereby the finger 43 is withdrawn out of the path of the control member 18 so that the latter may swing into the position shown in FIG. 3 in which the alarm signal is put into action. As, in the position corresponding to the closing of the electric circuit, the latch 39 providesfor the-locking of contact strips 25, 26 in the manner previously described,- any even very quick traction exerted on the handle 45 is suflicient to start a permanent alarm signal.

Such signal cannot be stoppedbut by means of the key, by displacing the movable element 6, as above explaine'd.

Obviously, the above described locking system must be rendered inoperative when the protection of the. box laying on asupport 'is to be provided but by the deformable system. To obtain this result, a traction is exerted on the handle 45 in the direction shown by the arrow F in order to disengage the rectilinear portion of said handle from the groove 50. Then, a rotative motion of 90 is communicated to said handle so as to bring said rectilinear portion of the handle opposite the shallower groove 51. When the handle 45 is then released, the spring 52 applies the rectilinear portion of the handle against the bottom of the groove 51, but as said groove 51 is not so deep as the groove 50, the finger 43 now is in the position shown in FIG. 5, in which position said finger constantly remains out of the path of the control member 18 in order not to interfere with the motion of the latter.

Obviously, the handle 45 may be attached to a chain, a connection with the belt of the user, or other means.

The above described device according to the invention offers numerous advantages in comparison with the known devices, particularly the following advantages:

Owing to the fact that the alarm system or mechanism may be actuated either by a deformable system sensitive to a displacement of the box to be protected with respect to its support, or by a locking system controllable from outside, the protection of the box may be obtained when the box is at rest as well as when it is conveyed from one point to another. Furthermore, the deformable system is highly sensitive, particularly owing to the fact that one of its constituting elements performs a rotating movement and that the other constituting element is flexible, whereby said deformable system may put the alarm signal into action when a slight relative motion between the box and its support occurs in any direction whatever, although such deformable system is insensitive to the trepidations due to vehicles passing in the street, etc.

Obviously, the embodiment described above and shown in the drawings has been solely given as a positively nonlimitative example, and the elements of same may be modified in form, nature, disposition and arrangement in any suitable manner while remaining within the outline of the present invention.

Thus, the new device may be embodied in all sorts of receptacles or articles, for instance in money-bags called shoulder-bags carried by the user hanging by a strap over a shoulder and across the breast. Furthermore, the deformable system and/or the locking system controllable from outside may be arranged in a manner which is different from the manner herein shown and described.

What I claim is:

1. An alarm device for a portable object such as a suitcase comprising a mounting plate for attachment to said object, an alarm circuit including spaced normally opened contacts mounted on said mounting plate, a control member pivotally mounted on said mounting plate and having an end movable through a path to engage and close said contacts, a blocking member slidably mounted on said mounting plate including means thereon for engagement by a key to shift said blocking member, said blocking member including a portion overlying said control member and preventing said control member from moving to close said contacts, said portion being displace e0 able with said blocking member to a position freeing said control member, a member rotatably mounted for rotation at an exposed opening in the wall upon which the article is to be supported when said article is moved by the relative movement of the wall with respect to the support ing surface, a resilient member on said control member extending outwardly in the direction of movement of said control member toward said open contacts, said resilient member disposed to contact said rotatable mem-- the alarm circuit.

2. An alarm device according to claim 1, including a locking system comprising a member mounted adjacent said control member and including a portion movable between a position blocking the path of movement of said control member and preventing closing of said contacts to a position out of the Way of the path of movement of said control member.

3. An alarm device according to claim 1, wherein said mounting plate is mounted on the interior of said article, and also including a locking device mounted adjacent said mounting plate comprising hand actuatable means displaceable between positions blocking said movable member to a position freeing said movable member.

4. An alarm device according to claim 3, wherein said locking device includes a bearing collar mounted on the Wall of the article, said hand actuatable means being a displaceable blocking pin reciprocatable in said bearing collar between a position blocking said control member to a position freeing said control member, means to bias said pin in a blocking position, and a handle on the exterior of said article and connected to said pin for moving said pin against the force of said biasing to free said control member.

5. An alarm device according to claim 4, wherein said bearing collar includes two sets of diametrically opposed grooves defined thereacross, said handle including a portion disposable in a selected one of said grooves, said grooves. extending axially into said bearing collar a different distance whereby, depending upon the position of said handle in the respective one of said grooves, the blocking pin is positioned in a control member blocking or control member freeing position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 848,129 Rycraft Mar. 26, 1907 1,301,783 Butcher Apr. 22, 1919 2,694,803 Larsen Nov. 16, 1954 2,758,296 Larsen Aug. 7, 1956 

